Kiara Pelissier grew up in the United States in a multi-generational family of artists consisting of four consecutive generations, each employing a different medium. She began working with glass in 1997 and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2000, followed by a Master of Fine Arts from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of The Arts in 2006. She has taught glassblowing at Virginia Commonwealth University, Penland School of Crafts in NC, and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in ME. Her work is in the collection of the Museum of American Glass, in NJ, and her one-of-a-kind glass pieces and installations can be found in private collections throughout Virginia and the US. Kiara currently lives and works in Richmond, VA.